Labour: Reilly is weakest link in Cabinet

Health Minister James Reilly is “the weakest link” in the Government, a senior Labour source has said as the Coalition row over health service cuts escalates.

Labour ministers will push Dr Reilly to reverse the cuts to frontline services at tomorrow’s crunch Cabinet meeting, the first since the summer recess.

“He is the weakest link in Government at the moment,” said a Labour source. “And people are not going to stand idly by while he hits the most vulnerable.”

There is mounting anger within Labour over Dr Reilly’s failure to inform them in advance of the cuts and the fact that the cuts will affect frontline services.

A spokesperson for Taoiseach Enda Kenny refused to comment last night amid suggestions that Fine Gael was similarly kept in the dark by Dr Reilly.

Of the €130m in cuts announced by the HSE last week, approximately €30m are to frontline services such as home-help hours. It is this €30m of cuts which Labour wants reversed.

“There will be a big push on for [tomorrow],” the source said. “We’re talking about the €30m in critical frontline cuts. They’re just not acceptable — that’s the bottom line. There are alternatives. And he needs to back down on this.”

Separately, Labour Party chairman Colm Keaveney urged the Taoiseach to agree to a review of the cuts.

“I understand the Cabinet will meet and I would hope and expect that the Taoiseach would ensure that we would review this situation to the satisfaction of vulnerable people,” said Mr Keaveney.

“I would have a very high expectation that the cuts as presented would be seen as unacceptable.

“It isn’t unknown for a minister to reverse decisions,” he added, pointing to U-turns made by the Government in the last budget.

Another Labour TD, Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, criticised Dr Reilly’s lack of communication and said it was not the first time such problems had arisen at the Department of Health.

Two months ago, Tánaiste and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore made clear his displeasure with Dr Reilly after the minister failed to inform him in advance of HSE chief executive Cathal Magee’s intention to resign.

“Leadership means communication, and I think we’re lacking a bit of leadership in that department, and I think the way it was handled was very bad,” Mr Ó Ríordáin said of the cuts.

“I think the Cabinet meeting is an ideal opportunity for this issue to be thrashed out and hopefully for these proposed cuts to be clarified that they’re not going ahead.”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin called on Dr Reilly to resign, saying he had broken pre-election promises not to cut frontline services.

“I think it’s now time for him to walk away and to retire from the position,” Mr Martin told RTÉ Radio.

The Labour source suggested Dr Reilly would struggle to remain in the health portfolio.

“He hasn’t touched consultants or delivered on the commitments in the budget. There are a number of big-ticket items that have to be tackled in health and he has failed abysmally with all of them. He doesn’t seem to have any enthusiasm for taking on the vested interests... I don’t see him lasting.”